How to receive freelancing earning via Western Union? [ A Step by Step Guide for freelancing Community ]

Freelancers or Outsourcing firms of Bangladesh often face hard time to receive payment from their global clients. This is because of the over regulated money laundering law from the government. But, No worries, yet there are so many secure ways to receive payment from your global clients.

With this article, I am going to discuss how you can receive your freelance earning through the Western Union?

Recently in the oDesk Bangladesh Facebook group (the largest freelancing community in Bangladesh with over 55k active members), I saw my native freelancers were asking a common question such as:

How to receive freelancing payment through the Western Union?

What information needs to send to my client?

What are the fees or charges for withdrawing money?

What is the conversion rate when they withdraw the money on local currency?

These are the burning questions of the age, as most of the Upwork freelancers are worried about paying 20% Upwork fees, alternatively, clients are also fade up of paying a fixed monthly fees to maintain their Upwork account – both parties are looking for alternative solutions and here the Western Union could play a vital roles to serve the community needs – We, the freelance community just need to take this advantages.

If you are a freelancer or a client, want to send money to your freelancer or receive money from your client then this article will answer you all the questions. You can follow the exact same steps if you are not even from Bangladesh.

How does the Western Union Money Transfer system work for Freelancer?

Transferring money through the Western Union is easy and have low or no risk at all. Because once the payment is approved from sender end, the receiver (freelancer) should get the money instantly!

If you are dealing with foreign clients directly (without marketplace), then the most usual and popular payment service in Bangladesh is Western Union Money Transfer. Not only because their low-cost service but also a high range of accessibility to the rural people. You can find Western Union branch almost anywhere in the country. A simple google search with “the Western Union + Your area name” will pop up all the nearest western union branches. In Bangladesh, almost all the banks have an affiliation with the western union so seek for the nearest western union affiliate bank. Nevertheless, the big supermarkets, mailbox centers, and post office also work as western union outlets. Please be noted that you can receive money from any western union outlets – there are no branch restrictions.

Here are the easy 3 steps you need to follow to receive money via the Western Union:

Step1: Send your personal and contact details to your client.

Step2: Collect MTCN # from client.

Step3: Collect Money from nearest the Western Union Outlet.

Step1: Send your personal and contact details to your client

At first, you need to send personal detail to your client. Personal detail means your name, address, and phone number. I’d suggest you to send a copy of your National identity or passport copy along with your phone number so that there is no scope of spelling error while filling the receiver information from sender end.

This information required verifying you are the authorized person. You can tell your client to send money declaring as “freelancing service fee” it will help you to stay out of any future tax-related hassle in our country as the freelancing amount is tax-free. BUT sometimes, a client can’t pay money as a freelancing service fee as they have the same tax issue, so you can tell him to send money as you are his relatives and he is sending money to support you.

Step2: Collect MTCN # from client
When client sent you the money, the client will give you MTCN # (Money transaction control number/transaction number) and the amount of money he sent.
MTCN # is a ten-digit code with a format like XXX-YYY-ZZZZ. Once you have the MTCN # number you are ready to pick your money from any of your nearest western union outlets. Remember, you can pick your money from any western union outlets – there are no branch restrictions.

Step3: Collect Money from nearest the Western Union Outlet

Before heading to your nearest Western Union outlet to pick money, please make sure you have 3 things with you.

1) MTCN# (collect from your client)

2) Your NID/Passport

3) Your Mobile phone.

You need to provide a photocopy of your NID/Passport to the bank concerned person. As per Bangladesh government guideline, they will keep a hard copy of your identity documents along with other transaction documents for the future references.

When you go to Western Union payment service and find the person who manages Western Union payment issue. The responsible person will ask you for the MTCN number and a copy of your passport/NID? If everything okay then he will process your money within few minutes.

While receiving the payment, you don’t need to pay anything. But your client must pay the Western Union service fee for the transaction.

Also, you can track your money online. Go to https://www.westernunion.com/au/en/track-transfer.html and enter the MTCN number. Transfer amount and receivers country. Or if you don’t want to go online or other problem whatever you can call at the Western Union customer service.

What are the fees involve?

Western Union service fee varies based on the amount and the sender/receiver country location. For instance, if your client sends you any amount but less than 5000$ from the USA then the service fee is $30 approximately. Much cheaper, right?

How the Conversion Rate Works?
Before we go for the steps of receiving payment I want to discuss the conversion rate and way it works. This is so common that currency value changes every day. Today’s $1 will not carry the same value as tomorrow’s $1. This is how world economy spins.

And these changes are as regular as we eat, sleep and repeat. So you should keep track on this thing. There are many currency converter websites you can find in online where you can keep track on money conversion. Use this:
http://business.westernunion.com/Resources/Tools/Currency-Converter
http://usd.fxexchangerate.com/bdt/

For example, As of July 1, 2016, and news is saying that the selling price for the $1 is BDT 77.33 and the buying price is BDT 77.58. So if you are a freelancer you have to receive money from selling price means for $100 bill you will receive BDT 7733 and if you are a client you’ll have to send money at buying price that is BDT 77.58 and for $100 bill you have to spend BDT 7758. And the spread between is the income of the payment service organization.

That’s all you need to do to get payment using the Western Union. It’s basically very easy. So do not afraid of asking your clients to send you payment directly. You can save a lot of money if you just can manage your client to pay you directly via the Western Union. If you can make your clients happy with your quality work, there is 100% chance that they will pay you the full amount. If you have any question about this post, just leave a comment below.

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About Author

Hi, My name is Muhammad Monir Hossain; a 34-year-old, Freelancer, Entrepreneur and Marketing geek. I’m very passionate about Freelancing, web hosting, WordPress, SEO and a few other things. This is the place where I blog about most of those things.